HIST 353: The Abbasids – Dr. Sara Ann Knutson

The Abbasids: History, Heritage, and Memory

HIST 353, 2023W

Course designed by Sara Ann Knutson, Laila Shaheen, & Jason Izadi

Prof. Sara Ann Knutson

University of British Columbia

2023W (Term 2)

Hybrid format: Mondays (asynchronous) & Wednesdays (in person), 3-4:30PM

Date

Key Themes & Topic / Questions for Discussion

Assigned Preparation/ Assignment due

WEEK 1: Dawn of the Abbasids
Mon. 1/08	First lecture, introductions, the syllabus, examining terminologies	(no preparation due today)
Wed. 1/10
WEEK 2: Baghdad
Mon. 1/15
Wed. 1/17
WEEK 3: 1001 Nights & the “Golden Age”
Mon. 1/22
Wed. 1/24
WEEK 4: Translation, Philosophy, & Knowledge (Part I)
Mon. 1/29
Wed. 1/31
WEEK 5: Translation, Philosophy, & Knowledge (Part II)
Mon. 2/05
Wed. 2/07
WEEK 6: Science, Medicine, & Astrology
Mon. 2/12
Wed. 2/14
*Week of February 19^th: No class this week – Midterm Break*
WEEK 7: The People of the Caliphate
Mon. 2/26
Wed. 2/28
WEEK 8: Materials & Craft-working
Mon. 3/04
Wed. 3/06
WEEK 9: Law, Bureaucracy, & Government
Mon. 3/11
Wed. 3/13
WEEK 10: Global Connections & Travel
Mon. 3/18
Wed. 3/20
WEEK 11: Abbasid Trade & Economic Networks
Mon. 3/25
Wed. 3/27
WEEK 12: Abbasid Art & Architecture
Mon. 4/01
Wed. 4/03
WEEK 13: A Return to the Golden Age: Challenging Narratives
Mon. 4/08
Wed. 4/10
Final Research Project due: [TBA] Submit to Canvas.

On what will your grade be based?

The teaching philosophy guiding this course assumes that every student is capable of learning, provided clear goals, a clear roadmap to achieve them, and consistent assistance towards understanding the course material. As part of that approach, evaluations and assignments are distributed throughout the course. To succeed in this course, you will need to maintain a consistent level of engagement by doing the following:

engage the class discussion and activities
prepare the weekly readings (ahead of the discussion class)
engage the lecture material
complete the assignments & research project

Detailed instructions and rubrics will be made available on Canvas and discussed in class. All written work should be submitted to Canvas.

Assignment	Percent of Total Grade	Due Date
Regular course engagement, participation, & contributions to discussion	20%	Ongoing
Weekly short responses	20%	Weekly
Research Project Proposal	10%	(Week 5)
Research check-in	5%	Drop-in hours or by appointment during Weeks 7 or 8
Research Project Rough Draft	15%	TBD
Final Research Project with Reflection	30%	TBD

Research Project (including proposal, check-in, rough draft, and final product with reflection).

The research project is an opportunity to build on course learning by conducting independent research on a topic related to the Abbasid past and heritage and communicating your research and analysis in a medium/genre of your choosing. The topic should be either one that we will not otherwise explore in the course but is still feasible to research with existing, accessible sources, or an elaboration on something we will explore in the course (involving independent research beyond course materials). This work will be assessed in stages: the research proposal, a check-in with the instructor, a rough draft, and a final product with reflection. More details on each of these stages will be discussed in class throughout the term but note that I expect you to engage with the feedback that you will receive from me and your peers and this will form part of the assessment of the final project.

The final project itself will take the form of either (you choose):

An academic essay (approximately 8-10 double-spaced pages, including footnotes) plus a bibliography and a 2-page reflection (neither of which is included in the 8-10 pages) or
Another medium/genre (approximate equivalent in work to an 8- to 10-page essay, defined in consultation with me) plus a bibliography and a two-page reflection (neither of which is included in the approximate equivalency to the 8-10-page essay).